Why is mastering your emotions important for success at work? Today, I want to tell you about Sheila, one of my clients who had put in hours of work on a presentation. Of course, I've changed the name, but she was excited about the presentation that she was supposed to be giving in her company to her senior leaders and stakeholders. If her presentation went well, it could mean a promotion for her in the next quarter. So she had rehearsed her slides and made her colleagues, you know, go through it. And then one of her colleagues pointed out a couple of flaws in the presentation strategy. And as she came closer to the presentation date, she came to know about some more flaws in the presentation, and all these feedbacks completely threw Sheila off as she thought of the weeks of hard work that she had put up in preparing this. Now, in a rage, she just threw the whole presentation away and called out sick to avoid further discussions, and in her absence, the management had to cancel that important meeting, which cost the company their contract. Sheila's performance and commitment to her work was questioned, and she regrets her decision, which she made purely based out of the emotions of anxiety and anger.
So many of us behave like Sheila. We blow up things rather than thinking through the problem and working on it. How easy would it be for Sheila to add an additional slide, or just edit the pre-existing slides with the concerns shared by her colleagues? She could use it as a jumping-off point to open the conversation for questions and feedback. The leaders would have been impressed with her work, with her intensity and foresight. My friend, to reach to the top, you must build emotional strength to push past your insecurities and find that silver lining. Most of us, we don't get to the top because we blame our circumstances. We equate our mindset with the situation. If the problem is tough or rough, our emotions of worry, anxiety, and stress take over, and then we make irrational decisions. If the situation is favorable, we get excited and make some irrational choices. Then in fact, you know, the Bible teaches us that our thoughts are the determining factor that controls our actions. Even the Bhagavad Gita says that the mind is undoubtedly restless and difficult to curb, but it can be controlled by repeated practice and detachment.
What makes a bigger impact on your career than talent or intelligence? It's the emotional strength that you bring to your work. Emotional strength, my friend, today is a personality trait that determines your ability to perform consistently under stress situations. A leader not managing their emotions can actually cause wreck and severe havoc on the organization and their people. Emotional control is a skill most leaders today need to be successful in managing their employees. Therefore, leaders need to prepare to present a calm, rational front. When leaders have high emotional control, they are seen as likable and ethical. So I encourage you today to build on your emotional strength.
Your Good Friend and Mentor
Payal Nanjiani
Read Payal's New Book - "MAKE IT TO THE TOP".
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